The Royal Contract

It would seem that all the supplies were placed in their cabin by accident. But Alex had it rectified as soon as they had learned of the situation.

“What do you think of this place?” Jacky asked when they were finally sitting alone at the table on the patio after the sumptuous meal they had shared.

Their men went back inside to get them some more drinks and clear the mess they had made in the kitchen. While the two of them just sat down and enjoyed the view of the countryside.

She suddenly laughed, remembering watching Marcus in the kitchen as he tried to match Alex’s speed. In the end, he only created more mayhem than actually helped in the cooking process.

“Well, I love it,” Dani admitted this time, without a doubt, as she stared at the lovely trees illuminated by the moonlight looming above.

After the afternoon she shared with Alex, she realized that she had nothing to fear as long as Alex was around. She doubted that trauma could be cured overnight, but she believed it would be easier with the support of the people she loved.

.....

She sniffed the crisp air that blew in her direction, enjoying the feel of the soft, cold wind against her skin. It was so fresh compared to the polluted air in the city, something that she did not miss in her hometown.

“I love it, too.” Jacky could not agree more. There was something magical in the place. A calmness that could make anything seem perfect.

Plus the fact, they were spending the entire weekend with their men. She could not think of anything more perfect than this moment.

Then, her smile turned into a frown as she remembered something about that afternoon. She could not stop thinking about the object that she found on the floor.

“Hey, what is wrong?” Dani noticed her shift in demeanor, confused by the scowl on her face.

A minute ago, she could not stop smiling and appreciating the place, so she wondered what caused the sudden change. She stared into her friend’s eyes, hoping to find some answers.

She extended her hand, leaning forward to tap her on the arm, catching her attention. She seemed to have zoned somewhere else from the way she was staring into the dark horizon.

“Nothing,” Jacky said, snapping out of her reverie, unsure if she should share the information. “It is really nothing.” She kept hesitating, but the words were already at the tip of her tongue, ready to spill with a little more nudging.

She turned to her friend to find her waiting for an explanation. She debated within herself whether it was something that she should even be discussing with her friend.

“Are you sure? You know you can share anything with me.” Dani knew her friend well enough.

A little more push and whatever she kept bottled inside would suddenly rush out of her lips. She was not saying that Jacky could not keep a secret, but she was not good at bottling whatever was bothering her.

“It is just that I am not sure by what I saw.” She reluctantly conveyed without going into details.

She stood from her chair and walked further on the patio, getting a clearer view of the surrounding.

Even in the darkness, the place still possessed a unique elegance and grace as the trees moved with the gentle wind creating a rustling sound,

She looked back into the house and could hear the noises of the two men who were still busy messing around.

“Maybe if you tell me, I might be able to help.” Dani’s curiosity suddenly perked up, wondering what her friend might be hesitating to tell her.

She also shifted in her seat, following her friend with her eyes. Then, she also turned in the direction of the kitchen, following her gaze. She also saw from the door what the two were doing.

She could tell that whatever her secret was, it might have something to do with Marcus. Her mind refused to believe that the two might be having problems, not after what she had witnessed earlier.

Again, Jacky darted a quick look at Marcus and returned to her seat, facing her. She stared into her eyes with a seriousness Dani rarely saw in her face. “I think Marcus is about to propose.”

She finally confessed, closing her eyes, remembering the ring in between her fingers. She loved it, at the moment her eyes landed on the shiny object in her hand.

It was what she imagined it would look like when he finally proposed to her. She wanted to question him earlier about the ring but decided to return it in its place instead.

She did not want to ruin what he had planned for her by preempting his proposal. She planned to act surprised when he finally went down on his knees and asked for her hand.

“Oh! That is great. I am so happy for you.” Dani shrilled excitedly, slightly jumping in her seat and clapping her hands.

When she saw that her friend remained quiet and did not share her enthusiasm, she knew something was seriously wrong. She grabbed her friend’s hand and tried to coerce her to confide in her.

“But it appears that is not what you wanted to hear.” She quickly retracted, lowering her voice not to attract the boys’ attention.

She looked at the forlorn expression on her friend’s face. She could not understand why she was not ecstatic about this news. She knew that Jacky loved Marcus. There was no doubt about that.

She was just not sure how Marcus felt. From her observation, Marcus might be in love with her, too. Maybe he was just too stubborn to see it yet.

“Wait, how did you know that he plans to propose?” Dani asked, believing that there was more to the story.

She once again gazed at the other room and could see that the boys were almost through. Their alone time was soon coming to an end.

“I found the ring in his pocket this afternoon,” Jacky admitted. “Then, I assumed that he would give it to me tonight.”

Actually, she was anxious during the dessert, thinking that he might use that time to ask her to marry him in front of their friends. But the plates were cleared, and the night was almost over. But there was still no mention of the ring.

“Oh, my, Jacky.” Dani felt terrible for her friend. It must be devastating on her end. “Maybe he is planning to do it another time.” She eagerly suggested, trying to cheer up her friend.

She did not want to think that Marcus would intentionally hurt Jacky. It was possible that he suddenly changed his mind about tonight at the last minute and decided on a better way to propose to her.

She suddenly wished that Jacky did not see the ring in the first place. So, she did not have to wait like this and just be genuinely surprised when the time came.

She stood from her chair and wrapped her friend in a tight hug, wishing that it could help her in what she was going through. It was the only thing she could give her at the moment.

“It is ok.” Jacky hugged her friend back, suddenly hearing a short sob come out of her lips. She did not mean to cry, but she was slightly feeling disappointed.

She had thought that things between them had progressed at a steady pace. She could not help but wonder if their relationship suddenly hit a roadblock.